VAT 69 Blended Scotch Whisky

Difford's Guide
Discerning Drinkers (1 rating)

alc./vol: 40%

Proof: 80°

Vintage: Non-vintage

Aged: No age statement

Product of: Product of United Kingdom United Kingdom

This blended Scotch whisky was created when William Sanderson, a blender in Leith, produced 100 different blends and asked a panel of tasters to choose their favourite. Obviously, they preferred blend, or vatting, number 69 and he started marketing the brand in 1882, originally in port wine bottles.

William Sanderson was born in Leith, Scotland, in 1839 and at the age of 13 started his apprenticeship at a wine and spirits merchants. By 1863, he owned his own business producing liqueurs and whisky blends. His son William Mark joined the business in 1880 and it was Mark who instigated the bottling of their whisky blends.

In 1884, the Sandersons bought Glengarioch Distillery and together with Usher and Bell founded a company to produce grain whisky – today this exists today as the North British Distillery. Sanderson sourced some of the malt whisky used in his blends from a friend, John Begg, owner of the Royal Lochnagar Distillery. When Begg died, Sanderson became director of Begg's Distillery and in 1933, Sanderson’s company merged with Booth's Distilleries, shortly after merging again with the DCL-Group (now Diageo) in 1935.

Review and Tasting


Sampled on 24/12/2012

Appearance:

Clear, golden amber.

Aroma:

Buttery floral and honeyed notes over a malty base.

Taste:

Well balanced malted barley, grain, honey and restrained salty smoke with fruit cake, cinnamon and nutmeg.

Aftertaste:

Salty, lightly smoked malty finish.

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Product Information

Closure: Screw / Stelvin cap

More about VAT 69

Produced by: Diageo United Kingdom
Owned by: Diageo plc
UK distribution by: Diageo Great Britain
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